As they were crossing the fields they saw a figure coming from a side road. The person approaching had the cape of his overcoat drawn up tightly around his throat and wore his cap pulled down well over his forehead.
“That fellow looked like Brassy Bangs,” declared Fred, as the distant figure leaped over a hedge and disappeared.
“It certainly did look like Brassy,” answered his cousin. “But what in the world could he be doing out so early in the morning?”
“Maybe he was practicing a little on his own account.”
“He didn’t have any gun with him.”
“That’s right. But he might have a pistol.”
“He never struck me as a fellow who would get up so very early. He always appeared to be rather lazy. And besides that, he didn’t come from the range. He came from the river road.”
“I know it, Jack. Maybe he’s been out all night for a good time with some of those fellows from town.”
After this the two Rovers lost no time in hurrying to the rifle range, and there practised with their pistols and their rifles until it was time to return to the Hall for roll call and the drill before breakfast.
“Well, we may not win, but we’ll make some kind of a showing,” remarked Fred.